The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as director of national intelligence hours after President Joe Biden officially took office on Wednesday.
The Senate confirmed Haines, 51, by a vote of 84-10, making her the first member of Biden's cabinet to be installed by the chamber.
She will become the first woman in history to lead the intelligence community.
She served as a principal deputy national security adviser and a deputy director at the Central Intelligence Agency under the Obama Administration.
Avril Haines speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington, January 19, 2021. /Reuters